Shower head



Jan. 13, 1942.

R. E. BLETCHER ET AL SHOWER HEAD Filed Oct. 1, 1937 Patented Jan. 13,1942 SHOWER HEAD Ralph E. Bletcher and Ernest H. Bucknell, Los Angeles,Calif.

Application October 1, 1937, Serial No. 166,806

6 Claims. =.(Cl. 29959) This invention relates to shower heads, and moreparticularly to a shower head which is of simple construction, includinga minimum of parts, and which is self-cleaning.

It is an object of our invention to provide a shower head which includesa metal shell and a flexible water controlling member which is so formedas to provide for the required distribution of the water from the showerhead.

Another object of our invention is. to provide a shower head including acontainer and a flexible material controlling element which is groovedat its periphery to provide a multiplicity of water sprays so formed asto provide for the proper water distribution and which is provided witha flexible rim which, under pressure of the water, is held in positionwith relation to the container to provide a multiplicity of waterpassages between the container and the flexible member.

Another object of our invention is to provide a shower head including acontrol element having a flexible pressure sensitive controlling rimanda means whereby the flow of water through said head may be easily andeffectively adjusted.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will beapparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof as illustrated in the accom panying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, of a shower head embodying ourinvention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a shower head embodying ourinvention.

Figure 3 is a view of our shower head similar to Figure 2 butillustrating the same with its flexible rim expanded under the influenceof water under pressure.

Figure 4 is a similar sectional view of a modified form thereof whereinthe structure of shower head of Figures 1 and 3 is adjustable to controlthe volume of water issuing from the head.

We have illustrated our invention in the accompanying drawing in twoforms it may take, as obviously it is susceptible of great modification.The showings made are entirely illustrative and are not intended to inany way limit our invention to the particulars as therein shown.

We consider our invention to be primary in character, particularly inthe provision of a selfwater through the grooves and when the pressureof the water is dissipated, the rim will retract from such position,increasing the size of the opening at the edge of the rim so as toprevent clogging of the passages from the deposit of material from or ascarried by the water.

In the form of our invention illustrated in the drawing there isprovided a container or shell I which may be of any suitable ordesirable construction or material, and as illustrated is preferablynonflexible under water pressure.

A disc 2 is mounted within the shell I and held in position by a-screw 3which is threaded to a cross-piece 4 of the shell I. The cross-piece 4may be of any form such as a rod extended across the interior of theshell I or a perforated disc, according to the desire of themanufacturer or material used for the shell I. T

The screw 3 permits the removal or replacement of the disc 2 should itbe desired for any reason. The disc 2 is preferably formed of relativelysoft flexible vulcanized rubber, and is molded of the shape desired andto include a reinforcing disc 5 within its interior to stiffen the sameto enable it to resist the pressure of the water from within the shellI.-

We provide the disc 2 with a circumferential wall in contact with theliquid flowing through the head and capable of expanding under theliquid pressure, and contracting again when the pressure ceases. To thisend, at its edge the disc 2 has the flexible rim 6 which may beapproximately cylindrical and may be thicker to enable cleaning showerhead which includes a member having a flexible rim so grooved andpositioned within a carrying member that the pressure of the wateragainst said rim will act to hold the rim in such position as tomaintain the flow of the formation of water grooves l on its outerperiphery. The grooves are formed in any desired manner and may betapered as illustrated. The grooves may be formed at divergent anglesfrom, or may be parallel to, the longitudinal axis of the shell I,depending upon the water distribution desired.

The shell I is formed at its lower end with a cut-away recess 8 intowhich the rim 6 extends. The rim 6 is of a diameter less than the innerdiameter of the shell I'within the recess 8, thus leaving an openpassage 9 (Figure 1) when the rim 6 is not expanded under waterpressure. This passage 9 is closed, as illustrated in Figure 2, whenwater under pressure acts to expand the rim 6 against the wall of therecess 8, thereby confining the flow of water to the grooves I. When thewater is first turned on, and when the flow of water to the shell Iisstopped, the water remaining flushes out the passage 9 and grooves I,preventing the deposit of foreign material to clog said grooves. Thehead is thus self-cleaning.

While it may be more desirable to construct the entire disc 2 offlexible vulcanized rubber as illustrated because of the addedflexibility and retracting power for the rim 6 of the entire discradially from the center thereof, it is obvious that this is notessential to our invention. The disc 2 could obviously be constructed ofany other material which will not flex outwardly under the pressure ofthe water so long as the rim 6 there of is constructed so as to beflexible and to control the flow of water under the pressure of saidwater.

In the form of our invention illustrated in Figure 4, the same parts areincluded and are designated with the same reference numerals. Thisillustration adds to that of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the feature ofwater volume control. This is accomplished in a simple manner bythreading to the interior of the shell I a volume control member .40which is provided with a handle II for ease of operation.

In order to prevent dripping of water it may be desirable to providepacking between the control member and shell L as illustrated at l2.This packing, however, can easily be dispensed with as a leak at thispoint would be ordinarily immaterial with water issuing from the headproper.

The operation of this volume control member I!) is simple. As thegrooves 1 are tapered and as the rim 6 is forced into engagement withthe inner periphery of the member ID under pressure of the water withinthe shell I, the size of the openings from which the water emerges willbe dependent upon the point of engagement of the rim 6 with the memberIll. As the member i0 is rotated to position the same at the lower endof the grooves 1, the water flow will be greatly restricted eithercompletely shutting off the undesirable formation and deposit of limesalts in the shower head. It is, therefore, apparent that many of theobjects of the present invention are obtained by snugly fitting a rim ofrubber without the passage 9. It will be obvious that it is within thescope of this invention to position the grooves I in the wall 8 ratherthan in the rim 6.

It is obvious that many other means of adjustment may be provided andthe use of the control member so positioned is intended merely asillustrative and not as a restriction of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, it is to be understood that we donot wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but ourinvention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A shower head comprising an outer shell, a flexible rubber rimfitting within said shell at the periphery of the rim, and grooves inthe periphery of the rubber rim and defining spray channels with theouter shell for directing sprays of water from within the shell.

2. In a shower head, a shell to confine water under pressure having awater passage therein, a closure member at the outlet of the shellhaving a flexible rim positioned within said passage and having theperiphery of the rim spaced from the shell wall, the flexible rim havingperipheral water passage grooves formed therein, said rim having aninner face adjacent said periphery ex posed to the water pressure andacting under pressure to expand the periphery of the rim against saidwall to confine the flow of water to said peripheral grooves wherebyupon dissipation of water pressure the rim will contract to open saidpassage to flush the same and said grooves, and the grooves being formedin the periphery of the said rim to direct the water and a water controlmember adjustably secured to said shell to move longitudinally of saidpassage to control the flow of water therefrom.

3. In a shower head for spraying water under pressure to form a shower,the combination of two members having adjacent faces forming a passagefor the water, one of said members being a closure member for thepassage and formed of rubber and there being formed between theperiphery of the rubber member and the other member a multiplicity ofgrooves defining spray channels forming a part of said passage, and therubber member having an expansible flange adajcent said grooves andwithin the water passage, and so positioned as to be operable underpressure of the water within said shower head to effect a relativemovement of the rubber member closure to the other member to confine theflow of water to said spray channels.

4. In a shower head for spraying water to form a shower, the combinationof a shell having a circumferential face, a rubber closure disc mountedin said shell and having a flexible grooved periphery mounted to contactthe periphery of the shell from within the water passage defined in theshell, and said disc having a circumferential expansible wall adjacentits grooved periphery and lying within the water passage within theshell, and said disc member having its inner face carrying saidexpansible wall in contact with the water within the shell so that thepressure of water in the shell operates to expand the expansible wall toconfine the flow of water to the spray channels defined between theperiphery of the disc and the inner periphery of the shell.

5. Ashower head comprising an outer shell, a flexible rubber rim havinga peripheral flange fitting within the shell at the periphery of theflange, the said flange extending inwardly of the shell, and channelsformed through the flange defining spray channels for directing spraysof I water to form a shower spray.

6. A shower head comprising a shell to confine water under pressure andhaving a water passage therein, a closure member at the outlet of theshell including a flexible rubber rim having a peripheral flange fittingwithin said passage at the periphery of the flange, the said flange ex-

